Jakob Silfverberg, selected 39th overall in 2009 (ranked #12 among Europeans by Central Scouting), was signed by the Sens in the fall, but decided to spend a final season in the SEL to round out his game (“I feel like, for myself, that I need to get bigger and stronger, and better in every aspect of the game“). He lead Brynas in scoring and was named league MVP by his fellow players. He has a good chance to make the Senators next year because he’s always been responsible defensively and as such he doesn’t have to crack the top-six. There’s no doubt that Silfverberg will be an NHL player, although his ceiling is up in the air. When he was drafted opinions varied about whether he would be a solid checking center or be able to play in the top-six. Hockey Futures‘ assessment echoes that doubt, “a strong skating two-way forward with good hockey sense. He is a very smart and mature player and is solid both offensively and defensively. Silfverberg has good technical skills and plays with plenty of intensity. His shot is quick, but could be more accurate and he could stand to play more physical. Opinions about Silfverberg‘s career differ. Some see a potential star player in him, while other see his potential limited to that of a role player“. The Sens Pierre Dorion talked about him last summer, “I am as sure of him being an NHL player as anyone in this organization. I can tell you this guy is an NHL hockey player. He plays a north-south game, he’s strong down low, he’s got good skills and good (hockey) sense. He can play the power play, but he also plays the penalty kill. He’s a versatile player. For a European, he competes, he’s strong on the puck and shoots it well. The one thing that’s got to pick up is his quickness off the mark. If he can work on that … that’ll determine where he plays in the NHL. If that quickness off the mark can be just a tad better, he’s a top-two line player. If not, he’s a third-line player.” Here’s a Sens TV interview with him after he was drafted, and here’s a highlight package.